Machine for use in the manufacture of hats



April 23, 1931- a. c. REITTER I 1,802,737

MACHINE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS Filed Nov 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 G INVENTOR USTAYE CHARLES REITYER ATTORNEY April 28, 1931. I e. C. REITTER 1,302,737

cums FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HATS Filed Nov. 12. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Gusmve (names Rem-ea ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT" @FFICE GUSTAVE CHARLES REITTER, OF NORWALK, G()ITNEC'IIGUT,v ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 7 TO SOLOLION GOLDMAN', OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR III THE MIANUFACTURE F HATS Application filed November 12, 1928. Serial No. 318,911.

This invention relates to a device for trimming the brim of a hat and has for its object to provide an apparatusof this character capable of trimming a hat brim to any desired width and with a straight or beveled ed e.

2 further object of the invention is to provide cutting facilities comprising a razor blade, which is adjustably mounted in the brim trimming device.

Briefly the present invention comprises a machine having a working bed upon which the hat-brim is placed, means adjustable with respect to the cutting edge and against which the crown of the hat is placed to gauge the size of the brim during the trimming operation, a blade holder adjustable in an arc to enable the operator to cut the brim either straight or at a bevel, and 'a pivotally mounted clamping plate to hold the brim down upon the work bed of the 7 device while the hat brim is being drawn before the blade. V

I have accomplished these objects by means of an arrangement and combination of parts described in the following specification, set forth in the appended claims and illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved brim trimming device; Figure 2 is a planview thereof; Figure 3 is an elevational view of the other side of the device from that illus trated in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the invention; and Figure 5 is a plan view of the brim gauge alone. Referring to the drawings, denotes the standard supporting the various instrumentalities of the trimming device and comprising a base plate 11 and upright center plate 12. Theupper end of the plate 12 is parallel with the base 11 at the front of the apparatus for a distance substantially one-half its length to provide a supporting surface 13, the latter terminating at its inner end in an upright shoulder 14 and an upwardly inclined position 15 projecting rearwardly to the rear dimension of the plate 12.

Mounted in horizontal position upon the surface 13 is a work plate which consists of two sections 16 and 17 the former being arranged at its rear side against the shoulder 14 and with its forward side disposed in a transverse direction directly over the plate 12. The other section 17 is a smaller section than 16 is, and is arranged so as to bring an under beveled edge 18 thereof into very close proximity with the forward side of plate section 16, as illustratively exemplified in Figure 2. The work plate asa whole is placed upon the support 12 so as to project one side of the plate 16 and 17 more to one side of the support 12 than to the other side. In working position, the brim of the hat to be cut is placed upon the work plate and the distance the brim projects over the space between the two plate sections 16 and 17 is determined by a gauge19 illustrated particularly in Figure 5. 'The gauge .19 comprises a crescent shaped plate 20 supported on the same plane as the work plate sections 16 and 17 by means of. an angular shank 21. The upright portion of the shank 21 is slidably mounted against one face of the upright plate 12 and is provided with an elongated longitudinal slot 22 which accommodates the screw shank 28 ofa thumb button 24, the shank having a fixed collar 25 adapted to seat against the upright portion of the shank 21 to lock the gauge in any position. A guide bar 26 is arranged on the plate 12 beneath the gauge 19 to cooperate with the work plate sections 16 and 17 in forming a guideway for the gauge. The lateral portion 27 of the gauge 19 on its upper face is provided with spaced markings 28 giving in figures the settings for cutting or trimming the hat brim. It will beclear that by adjusting the gauge '19 to the desired width and placing the crown of a hat against the outside curve of the crescent plate 20 the outer margin of the brim will overlie the space between the two sections 16 and 17, at which point the cutshaped member having its lower end slotted to receive a clamp screw 31 for upright adjustment of the bracket and relative adjustment of the plate 29 with respect to the work plate. The free arm of the plate 29 projects forwardly in working position as illu trated in Figure 2. At the junction of the two arms a toe 32 is provided which projects towards one side of the device and in working position is directly over the rear beveled side of the front section 17. A short toe or lug 33 projects from the end of the L-shaped plate and acts as a stop for the blade supporting member.

A further guide 34 or back for a blade is arranged on the section 16 and comprises a slotted shank 35, guide screw 36 and locking screw 37 projecting through the slot in the shank, the screw 37 accommodating a nut 38 to be adjusted against the guide 34 to fix its position on the surface of the section 16. The forward end of the guide 34 is 7 provided with an upturned shoe 39 arranged parallel to the slit or space between the two sections 16 and 17. This gauge 34 is utilized as a surface against which the side of the cutting blade may be supported during atrimming operation.

The actual cutting or trimming operation is done by a razor blade 40 which is carried by a pin 41 projecting outwardly from the forward face of an adjustable slide 42. The blade is clamped in position by a washer 43 and thumb nut'44 carried on the threaded portion of the pin 41. The blade 40 is supported on. the edge not doing the cutting by a stop pin 45 arranged in the slide 42, as illustrated in Figure 4. The lower end of the slide 42 is further provided with a notch 46, the upper side of which rests upon the lug 33, the slide being slotted longitudinally thereof to receive a screw pin 46' and thumb nut 46".

The slide 42 is supported between guide bars 47 on the forward face of a semi-circular plate 43 and the slide is adjustable in a line which is disposed diagonally with respect to the lower or base end of the plate. The plate 48 receives its support at the ends of spaced curved slides 49, which are parallel and each of which projects from the upper or outermost rear face of the plate 48 in an are having a point in the space between the two plate sections 16 and 17 as a center. The slides 49 are slotted through their length to accommodate a clamp screw 50 projecting through an opening in the upright wall 12 and having a head on one end and a thumb nut 51 on the other adapted toclamp a washer 52 interposed between the nut 51 and one ofthe slides 49 against the latter to fix the slides 49 in fixed position and the plate 48 and its blade 42 at anangle to the working plate. The slides 49 embrace opposite side faces of the upright plate 12 and are partly guided by the screw 50 and curved bars 53 mounted on the opposite faces of the plate 12, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. The blade 42 in cutting position projects downwardly into the space between the .two sections 16 and 17 and is backed by the slide itself and shoe 39, the projection or toe 32 supports the blade at the front face, and due to the centers of the arcs of the slides 49 being established on the line of the space between the two plates 16 and 17 any inclination of the plate 48 will always bring the blade into the said space for cutting purposes.

In operation the hat is supported with its brim loosely heldbetween the working plate and the pivoted plate 29. The gauge 19 having been already adjusted for brim width and the plate 48 arranged either in perpendicular position or at the desired in clination, the blade is lowered, cutting its way through the brim material and into the space between the sections'16 and 17. The final operation consists in manipulating the hat, holding the crown against the gauge 19. and drawing the brim past the blade to sever the excess margin of the brim.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: J

1. In a machine for trimming hat brims to width, the combination of a standard, outter carrying means mounted for .arcuate adjustment on the standard and about a cutting point as a center, a cutting member therefor, and means adjustably carried by the standard to hold'the crown of a hat. a

during the passage of the brim before the said cutting member.

. 3. In a-machine for trimming hat brims to wi,dth,-the combination of a standard, cutter carryingzmeans mounted for arcuate adjustment on the standard and about a cutting point as a center, a cutting member therefore, a gauge adjustable on the standard and with respect to the cutting member to hold the crown of a hat a predetermined distance from the cutting blade, during the trimming operation ofthe-brim and means carried by the standard to form a working surface to support the brim between the gauge and the cutting member.

4. In a machine for trimminghat. brims to width, the combination of an upright standard, a work supporting plate mounted on the standard, blade holding means mounted for arcuate adjustment about a cutting point as a center and with respect to the supporting plate on the standard, a cutting blade for the holding means adapted to operate in a slit in said supporting plate, a gauge adjustably mounted on the standard and with respect to the blade to hold the crown of a hat a predetermined distance from the blade during the passage of the brim before the blade.

5. In amachine for trimming hat brims to width, the combination of an upright standard, a work plate comprising spaced sections to accommodate a cutting blade therebetween, a blade supporting member mounted for arcuate adjustment about a cutting point as a center and with respect to the work plate, a cutting blade for the member, a gauge adjustable outwardly from the blade and mounted on the standard to hold the crown of the hat a predetermined distance from the blade during movement of the brim before the latter, and a member pivotally supported to one side of the standard and movable over the work plate to hold the brim down and support one side of the blade.

6. A machine for trimming hat brims to width, as claimed in claim 5, in which the blade supporting member comprises a plate and a slide arranged at an angle over the face of the plate, said slide having means to detachably carry the blade and further means for adjusting its position with respect to the said supporting plate and work plate.

7. A machine for trimming hat brims to the crown and cutting member, comprisin a crescent shaped plate and a graduate shank having width designations corresponding to the brim widths to be cut, vsaid shank being further provided with a. down wardly projecting slotted plate, means for supporting the gauge, and a clamp screw carried by the said means and projecting through the plate for adjustment against the latter.

In testimony whereof he has aflixed his signature.

GUSTAVE CHARLES REITTER.

width, comprising an upright standard, laterally supported work plate sections spaced to accommodate a cutting member, a pair of arc-shaped slides guided on opposite sides of the standard and about a center in the space between the work plate sections, a plate carried by the outer ends of the slides, a slide on the face of said last named plate, a cutting member comprising a razor blade attachably mounted on said slide and projecting into the space between said sections, means for holding the blade on the slide, means for holding the slide in adjusted position, means for backing the blade adjacent the said space between the sections, a gauge adjustable on the standard to regulate the width of the brim by holding the crown of the hat a predetermined distance from the blade, means for holding the gauge in adjusted position, and means for holding the brim on the work plate and for supporting the blade at its front face adjacent the point of cutting.

8. In a hat brim trimming device, the combination with a cutting member of a gauge for regulating the distance between 

